The NHLBI Research Diversity Program is designed to promote the entry of outstanding minority undergraduate and medical students into biomedical research careers. This research enrichment program represents a creative approach that provides an in-depth exposure to biomedical concepts, modern biomedical research areas, and an intensive, "hands-on," well-structured 12 week research experience. The NHLBI Research Diversity Program will match talented minority undergraduate and medical students with fully funded NIH research faculty mentors. The program will couple the daily research experience with an ongoing series of summer research seminars, peer round table research discussions, oral presentations, and mentoring from outstanding UTMB faculty. Students will have to opportunity to choose basic, clinical, translational or behavioral research projects. The specific objectives are: 1) To expose minority students early in their career to the excitement and challenges of a research career and to encourage their investigative and analytical skills, 2) To encourage undergraduate and medical students to pursue a career in basic or clinical research in the areas of cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic, and sleep disorders research, 3) To provide a valuable experience for students who hope to seek additional research training and funding in the future, 4) To increase the pool of minority physician scientists engaged in biomedical or behavioral research in those areas necessary to continue the mission of the NHLBI, 5) To address the issues of health care disparities by increasing the pool of minority physician scientists performing research in those areas where minority populations are particularly vulnerable, and 6) To expose underrepresented minority students to the medical and graduate school environment and to provide the necessary educational resources which will aid in successful matriculation into UTMB or other health universities medical and/or graduate schools. The NHLBI Diversity Research Program will enrich the research background of the students and will allow them to experience research first-hand in laboratories where outstanding faculty brings the excitement of scientific inquiry to life. The NHLBI Diversity in Research, in acknowledgment of its relevance to public health, will address the issues of heath care disparities by increasing the pool of minority undergraduate and medical students who will perform research in the areas of cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic, and sleep disorders. This program will strive to increase the number of minority physician scientists who are dedicated to performing research related to health disparities in areas where minority populations are particularly vulnerable. (End of Abstract)